This is an ongoing struggle that I find I have in common with most, if not all, of my colleagues in the music business. We all deal with this issue differently. How I have dealt with balancing my creative process and my music business has changed and evolved over the course of my professional life, and I'm sure it will continue to do so.

I used to consider myself an anomaly in Chicago because I had chosen to specialize in a type of music, which until recently, was totally devoid of a scene: Popular Country Music. I am not talking about the old school "honky-tonk" style of country played at Carol's Pub; or the alt-country music played at the Hideout. No, I am referring to straight out of Nashville, US99-playing, Keith Urban-loving, Country Music. I fell in love with artists like Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley, and Reba McEntire—becoming enthralled with the voices, harmony, and songwriting—while I was in college. I made the decision to pursue this passion after graduation.

I do my best to apply to opportunities (grants, exhibits, residencies, awards) on a regular basis, maybe 5-6 per year. My goal is to get one. Because rejection can become discouraging, I always try to have a few applications out there, rather than applying to one thing and then waiting for the acceptance/rejection letter.

Ann Fink of Carol Fox and Associates Interviews Jay Franke

Bob Sloane currently heads the Art Information Center at the Harold Washington Library Center. He is in charge of the dance collections, and has programmed more than 350 live dance performances in the last 18 years. Here he speaks on the library archives, how they preserve Chicago's dance history, and how artists can submit works for inclusion.

I think that many organizations have helped my career as an artist. Before I went to college, I thought that making art was about working on one's own. Someone would come to your studio, take the work away to sell it and then leave you alone in the studio again to just keep producing the work. Going to college was the first time that I realized, because so much of our time as artists is spent on our own, the importance of organizations to provide contact and opportunities, both for career development and for our mental health.

My mother always told me that it is better to be safe than sorry. Though Mama doesn’t always know best, these are words to live by.

From a historical perspective, images were often used to glorify a God or successful citizens (who served as an example of behavior that one should emulate) or to celebrate a hero (who sacrificed in service to the state). The relatively high cost and specialized skills needed for the production of imagery precluded the creation of artworks that challenged the existing powers.